BOSTON – The Red Sox will have easier flights than the Yankees, but they may not have an easier fight.
Boston’s 10-1 victory over the Bombers set up an ALDS date with the White Sox, the AL’s top-seeded team. Meanwhile, the loss by the Yanks means they start the playoffs in Anaheim instead of The Bronx.
“That doesn’t hurt us,” Johnny Damon said mischievously. Last season, the Red Sox became the third straight wild-card team to win the World Series. Their postseason journey began in Anaheim, and Boston won both games before sweeping the series at Fenway.
None of the Red Sox was shedding tears for the Yankees, who would be forced into a second West Coast trip in less than a week if there’s a Game 5 in their series.
“I’m sure they would rather have played at home, but it really – in the end – doesn’t matter,” Boston manager Terry Francona said. “You need to win wherever you play.
“And if something like that gets in the way – I shouldn’t talk for Joe (Torre), but I bet he’s going to say the same thing – then you’re not good enough.”
Although the jet lag won’t test Boston, Chicago’s pitching staff might. The White Sox, who won 99 games, entered the season’s final day with a sterling 3.63 team ERA.
That was the second-best mark in the American League. Boston reached the playoffs despite the fourth-worst mark in the AL.
“Regardless of how good an offensive club you have, I think every manager going into this playoffs will talk about pitching,” Francona said. “You have to have good pitching. I’ll know more how we match up in about a week.”
Entering yesterday, the Red Sox owned the best batting average in MLB (.280) and had scored the most runs (900). The White Sox had out-homered them 199-196 but were hitting 17 points lower and had scored 162 fewer runs.
“They outslug you,” Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen said Saturday. “We match up very well against them.”
Actually, the Red Sox won the season series by a 4-3 mark.
The White Sox will start Jose Contreras against Matt Clement in Game 1, and Mark Buehrle opposes David Wells in Game 2.
The Red Sox celebrated their berth modestly, although Johnny Damon wore scuba goggles – a staple of last season’s raucous celebrations.
“We’re shooting for 11 wins,” Damon said. “We’re not going to get too crazy in here.”